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TORONTO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION PATRONS The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, C.C., C.C.C., C.D., and Mr. John Ralston Saul, C.C.
NEWSLETTER # 12 - October 2009
THA General Meeting - October 29, 2009
The Toronto Historical Association is very excited to have Councillor Adam Giambrone as the guest speaker for our fall meeting. Most people recognize Giambrone as the youngest member of the 2003-2006 Toronto Council or in his high profile role as the current chair of the Toronto Transit Commission. In this latter role he has spearheaded a number of initiatives to help modernize and improve TTC services across the city. What many do not realize is that Adam Giambrone received a degree in archaeology from McGill University and has participated in excavations in Tunisia, Libya, Sudan and Yemen. During his tenure as TTC Chair, Giambrone has been quietly working behind the scenes on the development of a Museum of Transit for the City of Toronto. On Thursday, October 29th come to hear Councillor Giambrone describe some of the feasibility studies that have been initiated regarding a Museum of Transit. Giambrone realizes that any successful initiative of this scale requires input from interested stakeholders in the heritage community like the Toronto Historical Association and its member groups. This is a great opportunity for you and your members to learn more about some of the efforts involved in this kind of initiative, and also voice your opinions. The meeting will be held in the large meeting room at the Riverdale Public Library (Gerrard & Broadview) from 6 p.m. 'til 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 29th. There is easy TTC access to the Library either via Gerrard St. on a College/Carlton streetcar or one of the Broadview Ave. streetcars running south from Broadview Station. Light refreshments will be served. Note the meeting will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with Councillor Giambrone. There will be a short business portion later. We look forward to seeing you there!
CONGRATULATIONS
At the Heritage Toronto’s celebration of the City’s Heritage Achievers on October 13th, the following THA members were well recognized for their efforts:
- The New Toronto Historical Society received the Media Award of Excellence for their Website, authored by NTHS member Laurie Caron. The Society promotes the history of the former Town of New Toronto, an industrial suburb that was amalgamated in 1967 by the then Borough of Etobicoke. In addition to learning about the Historical Society, visitors to the website can learn about upcoming heritage events and explore the area's history through photos, stories, genealogies of early families, and histories of local industries. - Also in this category, the West Toronto Junction firefighters of Station 423 received the Award of Merit, for their work on a variety of projects to highlight the history of their station and of firefighting in the Junction. - The North York Historical Society received the Community Heritage Award. The NYHS was established in 1960 to protect, preserve and promote built and natural heritage, as well as the cultural heritage of North York. The Society offers an ongoing program of lectures, newsletters, walking tours and other events. In 2005, the Society opened a Heritage Resource Centre at the Miller Tavern, housing local history books, documents, maps and artefacts. In 2008, NYHS initiated a heritage plaque programme in cooperation with Heritage Toronto. - Other nominees in this category included the Cabbagetown Preservation Association and Guildwood Village Community Association.
As previously noted, Stephen Otto, a founding member of the Friends of Fort York and past Chair of the Friends, was honoured with a Special Achievement Award.
SPECIAL EVENTS
A TV film, “The Hangman’s Graveyard”, will be shown on the History Channel (Channel 43) on November 29th. Ron Williamson takes us through the Don Jail from the atrium to the cramped cells. All told, thirty-four people have been hanged there. Ron excavated fifteen bodies from the Jail’s parking lot. This film tells the story of three of these individuals. It is graphic.
This is good news from the Ontario Archaeological Society’s Annual Symposium at Waterloo University in mid-October. One of the real everyday problems in the archaeological field is the accumulation of artefacts. They usually end up in old boxes in the archaeologist’s garage - lost to the world. The University of Western Ontario and McMaster University have been granted a huge fund from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to set up large scientific archaeological depositary. This is really “preserving the past”. Also, they will develop an integrated system to insure its long-term availability for research. From the field to knowledge. About time! Tony Stappells
North York Community Preservation Panel (together with E.R.A. Architects and Heritage Toronto) are presenting a NORTH YORK MODERNIST FORUM, Tuesday evening, October 27th in the NY Civic Centre - in the Council Chamber, 5100 Yonge Street, 7.00-9.00 p.m. (refreshments from 6.30 p.m.). TTC: North York Centre Subway. The basis of this event is a report prepared by the City of North York Planning Department, Urban Design Division in 1997 - referring to about 160 structures that have been acknowledged to date as Modernist projects in North York. Properties were organized under various categories including Public, Institutional and Residential. A time period from 1945-1981 was chose as the time for building to be included on the inventory. Moderator: Matthew Blackett, Editor, Spacing Magazine Panel: Lloyd Alter, President, Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Leo deSorcy, Program Manager, Urban Design, North York District, City Planning Division, City of Toronto Dave LeBlanc, Globe & Mail columnist
FUND RAISING PROJECTS
Heritage Etobicoke Foundation - will be holding an Antiques & Collectibles Auction on Saturday, November 21, from 1 - 4 p.m. (preview starts at noon) - at Islington Golf Club, 45 Riverbank Drive (off Islington Avenue, one block north of Dundas Street West. The Foundation is sponsoring this auction to assist Montgomery’s Inn in its major re-restoration project. For further information, contact Randall Reid at (416) 394-6025.
Swansea Historical Society - will be holding an Antique Show on Sunday, November 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - at the Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia Avenue. Items for sale include books, jewellery, art, furniture silver, china, glass and much, much more.
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MEMBER’S UPCOMING EVENTS
North York Historical Society: Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. - Steve Pitt, author, will talk about Day of the Flying Fox; how a Canadian pilot knocked Rommel out of the War. LOCATION: Willowdale United Church, Friendship Room, 349 Church Avenue at Church Avenue, 2 blocks east of Yonge Street, north of the North York City subway. Parking available. Admission free. Visitors are welcome. Monday, November 9 from 5 - 7 p.m. - fund raiser at the Miller Tavern. $25.00 donation at the door includes food and beverages. Come celebrate the Society’s 50th anniversary (1960-2010) - the theme is the ‘60s. Location: 3885 Yonge Street. TTC: York Mills Subway.
Swansea Historical Society: Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. - General Meeting. Guest speaker will be Terry Murray, presenting “Faces on Places”. Location: Rousseau Room, Swansea Town Hall. Visitors welcome and light refreshments will be served. Wednesday, November 11 at 10:45 a.m. - Annual Remembrance Day Service at Swansea Town Hall.
Riverdale Historical Society: Tuesday, November 24, at 6:30 p.m. - Liz Driver, curator of Campbell House and culinary historian, will be the featured guest speaker. There will also be a sale of Cookbooks. Location: St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, 135 First Avenue.
Etobicoke Historical Society: Thursday, November 26, 7:30 pm – The Etobicoke Historical Society monthly meeting. Author and historian Sally Gibson will be giving a talk, with slides, on her book Inside Toronto: Urban Interiors 1880 to 1920. Based on 260 vintage images and extensive original research, this is the first book to investigate the complex, interior life of a single city - the places where Torontonians lived, worked, shopped, and performed the rituals of daily life. Location: Montgomery’s Inn, 4709 Dundas St. W. at Islington Avenue, Etobicoke. Free admission & parking. For more info: www.etobicokehistorical.com .
Toronto Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society: Wednesday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. - Michael Chazen, University of Toronto, on the new U.of T Archaeology Centre. ”. Talks are in Room 246, 19 Russell Street. - University of Toronto.
Friends of Fort York: Wednesday, November 11, commencing at 10:45 a.m. - Remembrance Day ceremony at the Strachan Avenue Military Burial Ground at the west of Fort York National Historic Site. Free admission to the Fort until 12:00 noon.
The York Pioneer and Historical Society: The Society has paid tribute to Toronto’s 175th anniversary by publishing From Hands Now Striving to Be Free: Boxes Crafted by 1837 Rebellion Prisoners; an Analysis and Inventory of 94 Boxes, by Chris Raible, with John C. Carter and Darryl Withrow. While awaiting sentencing for their part in the Rebellion of Upper Canada, prisoners made and inscribed boxes for friends and family, offering evidence of their personal affections and noble ideals. Books are available for purchase from the Society at $17:00 (postage included). Order 3 or more copies at $15.00 each and we will pay the postage. Order from The York Pioneer and Historical Society, P.O. Box 45026, 2482 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4P 3E3, or contact Audrey Fox at (416) 656-0812 or
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Saturday, October 31, starting at 10:00 a.m. - Scadding Cabin will be closed and artifacts packed away. Many hands make light work! If you can come for an hour or two, thank you!! Audrey Fox - on behalf of Edna Rigby. Ontario Urban Forest Council: Thursday, November 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 2009 Conference and Annual Meeting. Location - The Arboretum, University of Guelph. The keynote address will be by the esteemed and engaging guru of Urban Forests, Dr. Andy Kenney, of the University of Toronto. Ontario Urban Forest Council (OUFC) Annual General Meeting will follow, with an address by Jack Radecki, OUFC Executive Director. All OUFC members and non-members are welcome to attend. On November 11, join fellow urban forest supporters for a fun evening of socializing and networking. Where: The Shakespeare Arms Pub, 35 Harvard Road, Guelph. Harvard Road runs west off Gordon Street, just south of Stone Road. For more information, please call (416) 936-6735 or
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If you have something you would like in the THA newsletter or a special event, please get it to the editor before the 12th of the month previous to the event. Molly Sutherland will be preparing the newsletter and she can be reached by telephone at 416-621-5165, or by e-mail to
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Mail will be picked up as usual at Toronto’s First Post Office.
P.O. Box 67, Toronto’s First Post Office, 260 Adelaide Street East, Toronto M5A 1N1
Working together, bringing Toronto’s past into the future
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